Do You Find Yourself Anxious Most of the Time or At Peace?
Whenever you find yourself anxious about something, your actions will usually end up in error. But if you have peace, you can most often than not, make the right decisions.
Anxiousness is like the enemy trying to get you to do something impulsively. Impulsive behavior does not allow you to receive direction, counsel, or proper instruction for success. Peace is like permission to go ahead and move forward. Peace is the Master Conductor of your soul. It is God speaking to you. Your soul is your mind, will, and emotions. When you allow peace to guide your mind, will, and emotions, then you will experience the peace that God gives. The peace He gives is beyond comprehension.

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which passes understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” Phil 4:6-7.

Guard yourself with peace today! Be blessed!

Note: If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to post them here.

As you begin to make decisions about the things you want and need, the top priority should be good health. Without good health, everything seems less important. So if possible, refocus on what matters most-you! Also make sure your family is well. Start a plan to manage and maintain healthy a lifestyle.

To help you develop a mindset for good health, healthy living, and a healthy lifestyle, follow the voice within. God, through His Holy Spirit will nudge and remind you of what is important. It is important to remember that Jesus died so that you could have an abundant life. Without abundant health, life becomes more difficult than it has to be.

7) Let your “No” mean “No”. Only say yes to what you can do at the moment

8) Evaluate your moment by moment, if it does not feel right, and you know it is not right, do not agree to it

9) Watch less TV this year, and take a mild break from the internet

10) Take at least one vacation; go on a retreat; have spa days; and get a nice, comfortable hotel room-just for you; meditate, think, pray, and enjoy yourself by yourself

11) Read more, study more, write more

12) Do not (procrastinate) or put off until tomorrow what you can reasonably do today

13) Make your doctor’s appointments for annual checkups early in the year. Be a more informed advocate for your health. Be prepared to ask a lot of questions. Get an understanding of what you learn, and follow doctor’s orders-if it’s right for you.

Here are some extra tips that contribute greatly to great health, healthy living, and a healthy lifestyle:

Follow the natural laws: Make sure you have auto insurance, home insurance, and drive the speed limit; refrain from cutting people off in traffic, and leave home early enough to allow for distractions when heading toward your destination.

Write your plan, set short-term and long-term goals, make a vision board, post it, and view it everyday.

Finally, make a decision to get connected to a Word teaching church; get closer to God; take notes when you study the Bible, and review those notes and allow the Holy Spirit to speak directly to you as you sit quietly and study.

Think positive, be kind, give more, and be willing to learn all you can.

Take from this what you need; discard or ignore what you do not want.

I am evaluating this list for my family and me. It works! Just take it one day and one activity at a time. I know you will enjoy the outcome. Besides, you have all year to try just one of these.

Discouragement, like any negative thought or feeling, is a symptom. Any symptom can be broken. The symptom breaker for discouragement is the Word of God.

Whenever you find yourself discouraged and somewhat downtrodden, do not be hard on yourself. Even others may be hard on you, but there is nothing worse than rejecting what God has put in your heart to do.

Whether you decide to go back to school after 20 years, start a business with your 401k, have a child at middle age, quit your job during the recession, or surrender your all to Christ Jesus, God will give you the desires of your heart. Many of your desires may be God’s want for you. “God will give you the want of your heart”. If you make a mistake, the Lord will back you up. He will keep you from falling, and He has the ability to make your plans a success.

“It is not by power, nor by might, but by My Spirit, says the Lord” Zech 4:6.

It is by God’s Spirit that He calls you. God will call you to a place in your life that you thought you would never be. You may be called to be in a place that others think you should not be, or do not deserve to be. However, when man discourages you from the things of God, please know it is God’s Spirit who reigns in you. He gives you the ability to do all things, even to overcome the doubts of others.

One day someone may adore you, and the next day abhor you. No matter what you do, you will never please everyone. Whenever you go “whole hog” for the Lord, others, even Christians, will go against you. Actually, they are going against the Word of God to prove your unworthiness. Do not be discouraged by someone’s the looks, actions, or words. They are not rejecting you; they are rejecting God’s ability to choose you. Continue with your work in Christ, and know that He is with you, and against them. Those who hated Jesus, now regret what they have said and done against Him. Had they known during Jesus’ humble beginnings, what they know now, they would have never attempted to go against Him -even with their words.

PLEASE STAY ENCOURAGED!

Remember, the Word of God takes precedence over man’s thoughts and opinions about you.

Here is the Word:“Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom…these are the beginning of sorrows…you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake…many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another: Mat. 24:7-9.

“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!” Romans 10:15.

Los Angeles, CA December 2, 2012 – “Making the Case” is about a longstanding moral debate within the Church of Jesus Christ that addresses the issue of gender bias. Specifically, statistics show that clergymen who believe a woman should not sit in positions of authority, such as pastor, bishop, apostle, etc., where women lead and/or teach men, also believe this is an action inconsistent with God’s principles.

Due to the repulsive attitudes held by a large number of male clergy, toward women clergy, women leaders have been hindered physically and emotionally from walking fully in their calling. Exasperating debates and this belief about women leadership have caused Christian women great emotional hardship. “Making the Case” suggests that male clergy may be in contempt of the laws of God for committing a spiritual tort against women who lead.

The goal in“Making the Case” is to prove that the attitude against women leaders is immoral, and does not line up with the Word of God. Further, it is believed that the male-dominant thought against women leaders is not about the attitude or principles of God, but is purely man’s idea to reject a woman’s high calling. The Bible emphatically states that we have “all been called to a higher calling”. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 3:4) And the Bible defines who “we” are and, makes reference throughout the Bible that “we” all belong to God as His chosen people.

Let us point out that the Bible states that the children of Israel are God’s chosen people. However, in the book of Ephesians scripture shows that “we” all “are adopted as sons by Jesus Christ…having made known to us the mystery of His will…” (Eph. 1:5,9) Further, the Bible teaches that [“we”] “were raised up together”, and [“we”] “…sit together in the heavenly places…” More passages in the Bible consistently confirm who “we” are: We were “made both one” (Eph. 2:14) in the body of Christ. “We” are “High Priests, made in the image of God -male and female, Jew and Gentile”; and “we” have been “grafted into the kingdom of God”. “We” both “have access by one spirit to the Father” (Eph. 2::18) “We” are “a dwelling place of God in the spirit” (Eph. 2:22).

If we were to focus only the scriptures that discuss Israel as God’s chosen, we would believe that the rest of us are not God’s chosen. But as we have already pointed out, other passages in the Bible tell us that all have been chosen by God. This is what has happened with passages in the Bible where it mentions “keep your women silent in the church”, and the “man is the head”. Clergy have used a few scriptures from the Bible to make a case against women to forbid them from standing in the pulpit. It is important to learn and study the whole counsel of God, and to recognize the author’s intent and who the author is. God’s purpose for our lives is clear-“all have been called”. We must not overlook this truth. We must also not overlook important details such as cultural, geographical, language, or time period considerations. Most importantly, we must seek God for His counsel on all matters, and not after the tradition of man without verifying the truth.

In a previous article, we made the distinction between women leaders called to the “high calling” as, pastor, bishop, apostle, and women who lead elsewhere in the church. It is important to restate that the negative attitude towards women of the “high calling” is not that they lead or merely hold leadership positions, rather it is the leadership status of women as overseer, especially over male clergy. This distinction among women as overseers of clergymen, is another focus of our debate.

Therefore, it is imperative that we highlight the fact that God has placed all of us-women included-in a position to walk in the “high calling” to lead His people, without question. This is a biblical truth.

In a non-biblical truth, we find that male leaders believe that women are considered “unworthy” to stand in the pulpit, and that women preachers are incompetent to teach men. Moreover, men of the cloth who hold this belief, have stated that women who preach from the pulpit and lead in the church, usurp their authority over men, which they believe is an act of disobedience. Christians are taught that disobedient children of God have no place in the kingdom, but will place themselves in the “lake of fire” for disobeying God’s principles. However, nowhere in the Bible does it imply that women preaching from the pulpit is an act of disobedience or that they will go to hell as result of usurping authority or sitting in positions of authority.

We believe that this mindset has placed women in an awkward position. Many women admit that they have become emotionally affected and spiritually stagnant. Women in the church have worked hard to move their way up, only to be disappointed time and time again by negative stereotypes, which are clearly stumbling blocks to the religious vocation of women.

Because women are not recognized and respected by many male leaders in the church for the vocation of leadership, this attitude has affected personal relationships among clergymen and clergy women in the home. We know that Christian marriages, especially among clergy, and where both partners serve in proximity as church leaders, have a difficult time managing their intimate relationship.

Our aim is to look more deeply into the connection between broken relationships among men and women clergy, and the need for companionship and mentors for women leading in the church. With regard to mentors, we also look at how these women fair without the proper guidance and mentoring that is so crucial for one’s spiritual growth, personal development, and emotional well-being.

Based upon what we now know, we have shaped our questions around the concerns about gender bias in the church:

What is the real truth? Why are women really forbidden to preach in the pulpit?

Have women leaders been emotionally damaged because of hindrances to their ministry?

Can women leaders hold the church in spiritual contempt for committing spiritual torts against them? Who will hear their case?

Is it true that marriages among men and women leaders struggle more, and eventually end in separation or divorce because the woman leads in the church?

What are the solutions to men and women leaders working together amicably?

Is there a resolve for men and women to agree to allow women to lead in the church during the twenty-first century?

“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, And in His word I do hope.” Psalm 130:5

Waiting for the Lord is not sitting still and doing nothing; rather it is praying, waiting (listening) in prayer, studying the Bible, and pursuing knowledge in the specific area that you are waiting to hear from God about. This is why the second part of this scripture states, “…And in His word… If you do not have an answer, be quiet and listen after you pray and then go to the word and study your Bible. Pursue after what you already know and God will lead you to the finish line. It is you who will make your way prosperous, not God. Joshua 1:8.

“Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”, for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.” (James 1:13-14)

Too many times, Christians try to prove why they are going through hardships, by believing that God is testing them. I know the scripture above uses the word “tempted”, but this is one of the scriptures many people use to explain why things happen to them. As the scripture states, “God does not tempt us.” He does not have to. Nor does God send trouble in our life to test us. He already knows what we will do in any given situation. This is why He gives His word to tell us to choose life.

Choosing to live by the Word of God, will get us where we need to be quicker than any trial, tribulation, or test. We go through hardships because of choices we make. God may use our hardship to bless us, but this is not the same thing as “putting something on you”, or “testing”, or “tempting” us. And He will always bring us through whatever hardships we experience. Lessons learned are not because God did something against us to decide if we will pass a test. He’s God! And He’s a great teacher. He does not need to teach by putting us through hardships. Hardships are the result of bad choices; and our lessons are learned by what WE do, not by what God does to us. When we do not heed to God’s warnings about impending dangers and circumstances, a trial will ensue.The other side to this is, there are times when we will suffer for the cause of Christ, and not just for making bad choices. We will learn some things even while being obedient, but again, God does not bring bad things or situations upon us.

Some things we suffer, we learn from them through our suffering. Jesus, for example, “learned obedience from the things He suffered”. What He suffered was not to make Him a better person while on earth. He was already perfect as a man. In fact, He never, ever committed any sin or disobeyed God, the Father, yet He still suffered.

“Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered.” (Hebrew 5:8)

It is always a better choice to go through hardships for the cause of Christ, than it is for doing wrong, making bad choices, and disobeying God.

In the final analysis, when we are tempted, let us remember that God does not tempt us. It is “The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life”. Lust and pride are the things that get us into trouble.

“For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” (1 John 2:16)